The Zariski spectrum as a formal geometry (Q949619)

The author uses formal topology to deal in a basic manner with the Zariski spectra of commutative rings and their structure sheaves. By casting prime and maximal ideals in a secondary role, he prepares a constructive and predicative framework for abstract algebraic geometry. In contrast to the classical approach, neither points nor stalks need occur, let alone any instance of the axiom of choice. As compared with the topos-theoretic treatments that may be rendered predicative as well, this approach is built from more elementary material. The formal counterpart of the structure sheaf which is presented first serves as guiding example for a notion of a sheaf on a formal topology. This is followed by the definition of the category of formal geometries, a natural abstraction from that of locally ringed spaces. This makes it possible to eventually phrase and prove, still within the language of opens and sections, the universal property of the Zariski spectrum. This paper is of interest for people who are working in the area of point-free approaches to constructive mathematics and algebra.